Running mate watch: Tucson voters weigh in on Harris' potential VP pick

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Democratic National Committee says it will begin a virtual roll call Thursday to formally nominate Vice President Kamala Harris as the party's presidential candidate.

The expectation in Washington and around the party is that Harris will make her running mate pick after the nomination. Included on the short list are Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly.

Ahead of her announcement, I spoke to several Southern Arizona voters about who they'd like to see as Harris's running mate, and whether the new name on the ticket will change their minds.

Overwhelmingly, the registered voters I spoke with outside the Wilmot-Murphy Library on Tucson's east side said not only had they already made up their minds, but that the vice presidential pick won't sway them.

Gabriella Newcomb, a registered democrat, told me he hopes Harris goes with Sen. Kelly as her VP, but ultimately she's decided to vote for Harris.

"I've heard in the rumor mill [who] she's thought of picking and I don't think so. I think I'll still vote for Harris," Newcomb told me. "One of them I heard was Mark Kelly, and I prefer Mark Kelly, because I think he's a great man. He's done great for the state."

Registered democrat Greg Mannel says the pick won't change his mind about voting for Harris either, but is still watching for her choice.

"I would say someone that would work well with Vice President Harris, that they can have a partnership like Joe Biden and Barack Obama," Mannel said.

Registered republican voters I spoke with also told me the VP nominee on the democratic ticket won't be enough to change their vote.

SEE WHAT MORE VOTERS HAD TO SAY:

Ken Budge is the mayor of Bisbee, and a delegate for the DNC. He says Vice President Harris's choice will still be meaningful to voters with different priorities.

“I would love to see Senator Kelly be chosen, because he understands border issues down here. I think that's a big one that she needs to address, and that would be great," Budge told me.

"There's also the idea of whether she should pick somebody from the 'blue wall' that would help her out in those states over there,” he said, referencing names on the short list from states with a decided history of voting for candidates from the Democratic party.

Now with July and the primary season are in the rear-view mirror, both the Harris and Trump campaigns are now focused on the November 5 General Election, and securing votes in swing states like Arizona.